The Other Side of Paradise
Part 11
Author: Nyneve (Shock, shock!)
Hi everybody! I'm back from Vacation! It was great! I love Disneyland! *huggles Ewok plushie* Hee hee. New toy. ALSO!!! *holds up new Gundam Wing manga* Great place, that City Walk. Anyways, this chapter should be long enough to satisfy all of you (I hope). However, no matter how final it seems, we are nowhere near the end! Nope! Got a whole bunch more stuff coming at ya! Well, here's the chappie. Don't own the anime.
-Nyneve
PS: Here's a thought for those of you that live in LA; I might've walked right past you and neither of us would've known it! Wonderful thing, the Internet…
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"Are you serious? You're really gonna let us live here, Your Majesty?" Duo cried in joy as Serenity broke the news.
She smiled and nodded. "We could never leave you out in the cold. And even if we did, I'm sure the girls would find a way to sneak you back in." She coughed then, except the cough sounded a lot like she said "Pluto".
"What about the Gundams?" Heero inquired solemnly.
"At the moment, we can store them in the hangar with the other mobile suits. That is, until you decide what to do with them," Endymion answered.
"But what about the policy against weapons?" Hotaru remarked.
"I think, in this case, we will leave that up to the pilots. Even though their Gundams nearly destroyed half of the palace, they have also been used for good. Right Mina?" Serenity asked.
"Yes. Yes they have," Mina confirmed slowly, not looking at Heero.
Serenity's expression brightened. "Well then, would you guys prefer to pick out your own rooms, or should I just put you as close to the girls as possible."
Duo opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Endymion answered.
"No Duo, you cannot share a room with Amy," he replied.
Duo's expression fell, as Amy burst into hysterical giggles. "I was just wondering."
"Come on Duo. I have a spare bedroom and bathroom next to my lab. Come on, I'll show you!" she smiled, taking his hand and wandering off.
"Well, that's taken care of. The rest of you?" Serenity prompted.
"Your Majesty, would you mind if we took a look around ourselves?" Quatre asked politely.
"Of course not. But if a door's closed, knock first. I haven't seen Neptune or Uranus, and well…they don't like surprises," she answered. "And you can call me Serenity, if you like."
"Right. See you in a while, then. Raye, would you…" Quatre began.
Raye nodded, and then led him down a different path.
Heero and Wufei proceeded on their own, while Trowa and Trista headed back towards Trista's room.
"Um, Endymion? Aren't you going to reprimand those two?" Serenity whispered as the last couple went off. "I mean, it's pretty obvious we know where Trowa's staying…"
"I trust Trista. She's older than any of us, and her judgment is honorable. Besides, if he's been in her room for a few days…"
The king and queen looked at each other momentarily, then shook their heads.
Meanwhile, Hotaru, Rini, and Janus were standing across the room looking out at the gardens. The sun was just starting to come out.
"Isn't it pretty? Why don't we go outside you guys?" Rini suggested.
"Yeah sounds great! Come on Janus!" Hotaru agreed.
The boy, however, hung back. "I don't think…"
"Oh, don't be such a party pooper! Don't you know about having fun?" Rini asked.
"Of course I do! It's just that…" he trailed off.
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you worried about what your mother would think?" Hotaru asked, smiling at him.
"Well, yes," he admitted.
"Janus, your mom was pretty mean. That's just what all of us think. But we don't think you're like that. You don't have to agree, but we wanna be your friends!" Rini remarked.
Janus thought a moment. He had never really interacted with other children before. He was always too busy helping his mother. But she was gone now.
"You're wrong about my mom," he said. "But maybe, you're right about me. Maybe."
"So what are we waiting for? If we don't hurry up, it'll start raining again! Let's go!" Rini cried, grabbing Janus' hand and Hotaru's with the other.
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"Wow…what kind of video games can you play on this thing?" Duo asked in amazement as he followed Amy around her lab.
She giggled slightly. "Really cool ones. Especially when I hook up the VR," she replied.
"No way! You've got virtual reality! Man, I knew you were a genius, but that you had a big lab/arcade…" he trailed off.
"Yeah. But don't ever come in here without my permission okay? I've got too much delicate stuff around here," she warned.
Duo grinned mischievously. "Of course I won't. OH!!! WHAT DOES THIS BUTTON DO?"
"Don't!" Amy cried, then glared at him.
"Just kidding Ames," he laughed.
"Oh yeah? I'll show you what's funny," she narrowed her eyes, then walked to her computer. After a few minutes of typing, there was a buzzing noise and the room was filled with girls who looked, moved, and sounded exactly like her.
"Whoa…how'd you do that?" he wondered, looking from Amy to Amy.
"Science can do anything these days. Even create carbon-holographs. So Duo, which one of us is the real Amy?" one Amy asked.
"Wha???" he exclaimed. Then, realizing his task, he looked at each one closely. There were about twenty in all, and they had all moved away from the spot the original Amy had stood. He stopped to look closely at every one. Some giggled, some stared right back, and a few just smiled enigmatically.
Finally, he grabbed the hand of one sitting on a chair next to a bunch of test tubes. "Hey Ames," he smiled.
The Amy sighed, walked over to the computer, and made all the others disappear. "I don't get it! We're supposed to be identical! There was no way you could've picked me apart from the others!"
He put his arm around her shoulders. "Of course there was. Like you…er, one of you, said; they were just carbon holographs. You were the only one that still had that soul of yours practically radiating. It was easy to pick you apart."
She smiled back at him, and laid her head on his shoulder. "You know what? I think you're a lot smarter than you realize."
"Nah. I just know my girl would never try too hard to hide from me," he answered.
Amy laughed softly. "You're right. I'll always come back to you, sooner or later," she replied.
"And I'll never leave in the first place!" Duo added.
"Really? You'll never leave?" Amy asked.
"Nope! You're stuck with me for life!"
**************************************************************************************************************************Quatre looked out the window at Hotaru, Rini, and Janus playing in the gardens. Raye had helped him pick a nice room, not to far away from hers, with a good view of the grounds. However, right afterwards, she said she had work to do at the Temple, and left.
Outside, thunder rumbled ominously. Quatre began to worry. It was a good five miles or so to the temple, and Raye had walked. If it were going to storm, Raye would have no way to get back.
Well, I may as well go get her myself. At least then, if she ends up stuck at the temple, she won't be alone he thought, picking up an umbrella he found in the closet and walking out.
On the way to the door, he saw Lita. After explaining where he was going and why, she gave him a worried look.
"Maybe you can talk some sense into her Quatre. She hasn't slept in days, and she's barely eaten. She's been spending a lot of time at that temple recently," she remarked.
"I'll do the best I can, Miss Kino," he replied, heading out. Five miles turned out to be a longer hike than he expected, and it was already pouring by the time he reached the temple.
After looking in all the buildings, he found Raye sitting in front of a fire in her miko robes, chanting steadily. He watched her for a few minutes. It was true. She was paler and thinner, and her eyes seemed sunken in. But they were alive, somehow. Or maybe that was the reflection of the fire she was staring into.
Finally, he touched her shoulder. "Raye?" he asked softly.
She jumped slightly, then looked up. "Quatre? What are you doing here? How did you bring me out of it?"
"Out of what?" he asked, confused.
She sighed and stood up. "The trance. I was having a vision, and you brought me out of it."
"Oh, I'm sorry Raye! I didn't know…" Quatre apologized. She shook her head.
"No, it's fine. I'll try again in about twenty minutes. Want a snack? I brought some food," she offered.
"Sure, as long as it's not Twinkies. I've had about as much of those as I can handle," he answered, following her into another room. They all seemed dusty, and desolate. The building looked like it might've been a house at one point. Closets, and a couple of pieces of old furniture were still in some of the rooms.
They went into a smaller room light with two lanterns, one on a chair and the other on the floor across the room. A bag sat next to the chair, as well as Raye's jacket and other clothes.
"I didn't know you were a priestess, Raye," Quatre replied, sitting down as she pulled out a couple of sandwiches.
Tossing him one, she sat down across from him. "Yeah, I lived here when I was younger. Before I became a full time Senshi."
There was awkward silence while they ate. Finally, Quatre touched her hand.
"Raye, Lita told me you haven't been sleeping. Is that true?" he asked gently.
"Well, yeah," she admitted. "It's not a big deal or anything. And I'm starting to get the feeling that we shouldn't be relaxing just yet. That's why I've been coming here every night. To try and divine things."
"But I'm worried about you Raye! You need to be getting sleep. Your arm still isn't healed yet, and you'll get sick with all of this rain and cold weather," he said.
"I'm fine Quatre!" she snapped, then her expression softened. "I'm sorry. You know, you're probably right. But I'm scared Quatre. These visions…they're telling me we're going to have to fight soon. That Hecate's not done with us yet."
"Raye, Hecate's dead! Heero killed her with Wing Zero's buster rifle," Quatre exclaimed.
"Quatre, do your really think a mobile suit, even a Gundam, could kill a being that's lived for over three thousand years?" she asked. "And that's not the worst part of it. Right before you pulled me out of it, I heard a voice. It said history was going to repeat itself, that night shall fall again."
"That doesn't make much sense, Raye," he said.
"Maybe not to you, but it does to us! In this universe, the most catastrophic event in history took place only a couple of years ago. If it happened again…" she trailed off.
"What was it?" he asked gently.
She shook her head. "I'll tell you tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is the anniversary."
At that moment, they became aware of the severity of the storm. Even though it had been thundering for about a half an hour, time seemed to stop.
"I don't think we'll be able to go back tonight. Can we spend the night here?" Quatre asked, looking around.
"If you're not scared," Raye answered, smiling half-heartedly.
"No. Not with you here," he said, touching her cheek.
She closed her eyes and covered his hand with hers. "Quatre…I'll always be here to protect you."
"So will I," he murmured back, moving next to her and putting his arms around her.
Raye sighed happily and put her head against his chest. Moments later, she was fast asleep.
Quatre smiled, and laid her down on the dusty floor and covered her with his coat. Then, lying down on the other side of her, he too, fell asleep.
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Back at the Palace, Lita sat in her kitchen cooking. Outside, the thunder rumbled fiercely.
"Huh. I hope Quatre and Raye are all right," she said absentmindedly as she dropped some vegetables into a pot.
Out in the hall, Wufei just "happened" to wander past her open door. When he glanced inside, he raised one eyebrow cynically and walked in.
"What are you doing?" he asked incredulously, looking around the apartment.
Lita didn't look at him. "Oh, Wufei, I'm so glad you dropped by, completely uninvited. Won't you join me and my friend Mrs. Jones for a game of bridge, since that's obviously what I'm doing?" she remarked sarcastically.
Wufei rolled his eyes. "You're a clever one, aren't you?"
She sighed and turned to look at him. "Look, what is it exactly that you want? I'm kind of busy here!"
"Cooking? I didn't think a girl like you cooked," he answered. "Why aren't you training?"
"Excuse me Mr. All-I-Care-About-Is-My-Gundam-And-Annoying-Other-People, but I can have more than one interest. Here," she snapped, tossing a carrot to him. "Peel it and chop it, since it seems you don't intend to leave any time soon."
He caught it, then picked up a knife and cutting board sitting on the counter. He paused momentarily.
"What's the matter? Are you telling me you can't even peel and chop a carrot?" she asked.
"Of course I can, On…Lita," he answered, forcing himself to use her name. "What I'm wondering is why you're asking me to help you?"
"Are you really this stupid, or is this more of your bad acting [AN: Oooh, burn. And Wufei's down…]?" she asked. Seeing as she got no reply, she sighed, exasperated. "Because I don't want things to get any worse between us."
"Huh. It's not like they were that good to begin with," he said, getting to work.
"Well, yeah. You've got a point there. But I think there's a good side to most, if not all, people. And that includes you," she replied.
"The only good side I have is the justice I defend," Wufei stated solemnly.
"That. And you fight well. I'll give you that much," she grinned at him.
He had to smirk at that remark. "You too, Lita."
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Mina sat in her room in her nightgown, brushing her hair and getting ready for bed. She winced in pain whenever she bent her arm the wrong way, which unfortunately, was often. As she finished and stood up, she saw a reflection in her mirror and screamed. Then, she realized it was Heero.
"Heero! Don't do that!" she cried, gasping and sitting back down.
"Sorry," he answered emotionlessly, then stepped forward from the shadows by the door. The room was dimly lit, only by a lamp on the dresser. Every few minutes, lightening would streak by and light up the room like daylight, but that was all.
"Why…did you come into my room?" she asked. He can't…no, there's no way he would… she thought incredulously.
"I wanted…to apologize," he said finally. "For letting you get hurt."
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault. If anyone's it was mine. I mean, I let my guard down, and then…" CRASH!!! Mina screamed as thunder boomed outside.
Heero stared at her. She appeared thoroughly scared of the storm outside. "Mina, you're not afraid of thunder, are you?"
She sighed, then smiled to herself. "I didn't used to be. But ever since all these storms started, and the rain…it freaks me out, you know?"
"Not really, no," he replied matter-of-factly, then sat down on her bed. "Can you tell me?"
Mina looked at him hard for a moment, then crossed the room and sat down on the other side of the bed. "I thought…you didn't like me very much."
Heero paused, remembering the promise he made to her the last time he saw her. I promise, if we ever get a second chance, I'll tell you how I feel. But now, they had a second chance, and he didn't know how he felt. Then, for the first time, something strange happened. His mind wandered to Relena.
Almost subconsciously, he started to compare the two girls. Relena was more formal and practical than Mina, who wasn't as forward or pressuring about her feelings. Although it was obvious they were strong, she didn't force them onto him like Relena had. But then again, he had admitted to himself that he did care for Relena. And whether he felt the same for this girl? He just didn't know.
"Heero? Are you listening?" Mina's voice broke his thoughts. He turned to face her.
"I'm sorry. Get some rest. I heard it's a big day tomorrow," he answered, standing up and heading towards the door. Just as he opened it, Mina spoke again.
"Good night, Heero," she murmured.
"Good night, Mina," he replied.
"And Heero? I love you," she answered again. "And I don't care how you feel."
At this, he froze and turned back to look at her. Oddly enough, there was a look of sadness on her face.
"Why would you ever love someone like me?" he asked softly.
"I already told you. I don't have to have a reason to love you. I just do," she answered, laying down and looking away.
"Hn," he grunted, then left.
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Upstairs in Pluto's room, Trowa and Trista lay together in her bed. Although the storm outside still raged, time seemed frozen inside of the room. Then again, maybe it was.
"Trista?" Trowa asked softly as he held her close to him and kissed her bare neck and shoulders.
"Yes?" she replied, allowing his warm hands to caress her.
"Is this real? Or am I dreaming?" he asked, closing his eyes.
"I could never tell you. The only way you would know would be if you woke up," she answered gently. "But I do not think God would be so cruel as to let you dream this."
"Maybe, maybe not," was all he could say. He felt his lover lay a hand on his cheek, and opened his eyes.
"No, Trowa. Those memories that cause you pain are the ones you must forget," she murmured, almost reading his thoughts.
"Pain? There is no pain. There's nothing…" Trowa answered. "You're the only thing I have."
"That's not true, and you know it. You can't keep lying to yourself Trowa. You have your friends, and your family in your world," Trista remarked. Trowa said nothing in return. Gently, she pressed her lips to his. But even as she pulled away, he was silent.
"Do you think that without me, you would become Nanashi again?" she closed her eyes sadly. "You say there's no pain, but there is. The kind that removes everything. I can sense it."
"Trista…I love you. There's no way I could never go back to being alone again. It's a miracle you've been able to redeem me even this much," he replied.
"From what crime? You're an innocent man. You have to understand that. I haven't been trying to redeem you. I've been trying to heal you. Because I need you as much as you need me," she whispered. "Even now, I cry sometimes when I think about the fact I'll have to go on living without you, at some point."
"You're not alone, Trista. And neither was I. Because you were always watching over me, even before I met you. And when the time comes," he paused and brushed her hair back from her face. "I'll be watching over you too."
"I know. But not having you here beside me, not having something I can hold onto when I'm sad or scared, not having something to comfort me when it feels like the world is crashing down on me, that's what I fear most," she said softly.
He tried to find the words to comfort her, but failed. All he could do was gather her in his arms, try to kiss away her fears, and pray she'd fall asleep.
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Aww…wasn't that sweet? Well, R+R+R!!! AND!!! SEE THE NOTICE BELOW!!! *points down*
NOTICE: I am considering starting a free mailing list for fans of my fan fiction. Members of the list will receive pictures and backgrounds from the ficcies, previews of upcoming ficcies, and possibly special edition one-shots! Ooh! Aah! Send me an e-mail if you're interested!
